Lashing out at Opposition parties, Aam Aadmi Party’s Punjab chief spokesperson Malvinder Singh Kang sought unconditional apologies from Shiromani Akali Dal president Sukhbir Singh Badal and Congress’ Leader of Opposition Partap Singh Bajwa for their false and frivolous allegations that Chief minister Bhagwant Mann deplaned at Frankfurt airport on Saturday night in an inebriated state.
Kang said it is extremely condemnable that Opposition leaders level allegations against CM Mann even without verifying the facts. “As now the Lufthansa Airlines has itself clarified that frivolous reports, Sukhbir Badal and Partap Bajwa should tender a public apology,” Kang said.
He said that in a reply to a user, Lufthansa Airlines clarified, “Our flight from Frankfurt to Delhi departed later than originally planned due to a delayed inbound flight and an aircraft change.”
SAD president Badal had said the reports of Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann being deplaned from Lufthansa flight as he was “too drunk to walk” have “embarrassed and shamed Punjabis all over the globe”.
“Disturbing media reports quoting co-passengers say Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann was deplaned from Lufthansa flight as he was too drunk to walk. And it led to a 4-hour flight delay. He missed AAP’s national convention. These reports have embarrassed & shamed Punjabis all over the globe,” he said in a tweet.
Congress leader Bajwa has written a letter to the Union civil aviation minister Jyotiraditya Scindia requesting him to initiate an enquiry to verify the facts regarding Punjab CM being deplaned in Frankfurt.
Bajwa said if the reports are true and if the Punjab CM has some morals, then he should resign for it’s a national shame that a sitting chief minister was deplaned from a flight. He said that the Union civil aviation ministry should take cognisance of the matter and sought a detailed report from Lufthansa on the issue.